Reaching my generation

Archive for April, 2015

This weekend is baptism weekend. It is a weekend of victory and joy. It is a weekend when lives are forever changed by powerful decisions to follow Christ and be changed by the experience of water baptism.

Here is some exciting video of the Youth meeting on Friday night where seven people were baptised. (Content added later).

I love this message from one of our young people who spoke so well about her decision to be baptised.

“Honestly I’m so proud of who’ve I’ve become.

Tomorrow I am getting baptised and yes honestly I’m scared and yes I’ve had doubts. But who I am today is so much better then who I was. Being addicted to certain things was such a bad life style and I’m happy I chose the life I did but I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for the youth ministry at plenty valley church, I mean the choices I made ruined my life at that time and now I’m proud to become a new person. ‪#‎jesusismywaterboy But honestly thank you to everyone there that never gave up on me when I gave up on myself. They helped me so much and I am so grateful.” – Kirsten May Barnes.

This morning several of our children will be baptised. Tonight a number of people will be baptised. We have shared two powerful messages about water baptism this month, please listen to them on the podcast even if you have already been baptised because it will give you fresh revelation about the power of water baptism and how you can apply your faith to that experience right throughout your Christian life. Some here today have decided to be water baptised but want to wait until their family is available so that they can witness their life changing event later in the year. I think that’s great. To have your friends and family watch you go through the waters of baptism is profoundly impacting for them and may be a catalyst to their own journey with Christ beginning.

You were raised!

Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.(AMP)

When you are baptised you are buried with Jesus and you are raised with Jesus!

You were buried with Him, and you are raised with Him. These two great pictures God gives you in water baptism to illustrate two powerful truths to you.

Buried and raised. Death and life. A finishing and a new beginning.

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion) through His [resurrection] life.(AMP)

His death accomplished what? – Reconciled to God, sins forgiven. Judgement averted. End to our imminent eternal death sentence.

His resurrection accomplished what? – Deliverance from sin’s dominion. Power over the sin and the old life to rule us. Power to say no to temptation.

Romans 7:4 Likewise, my brethren, you have undergone death as to the Law through the [crucified] body of Christ, so that now you may belong to Another, to Him Who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. (AMP)

What has His death accomplished? – We have died to the law! That means all the crimes against God that we committed are no longer relevant. We died, the old man, the previous life has died and is buried. This new life is now a new person, a new creation.

What has His resurrection accomplished? – To enable us to bear fruit! Resurrection life in Christ enables us to bear fruit. It is the power to do right and do good in God’s purpose which is the works of faith. We bear fruit when we believe and then act. We bear much fruit when we are abiding in Christ (John 15:5)

Rom 4:25 Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God]. (AMP)

What did Jesus death accomplish? – Dealing with our misdeeds. His death took away our sins by paying the penalty of our sins which is death. His death forever appeased the righteous judgement of God against sin by punishing Jesus in our place.

What did His resurrection accomplish? – Justification! To be made just as if we had not sinned. To be acquitted means to be released from charges, to be declared not guilty. This is about the on-going life. This is about the future, the way we live now, which is a life of freedom from guilt and condemnation. We are justified by Christ through His death and resurrection. We now stand before God every day “just as if we had not sinned”

There’s plenty there to rejoice about if you will allow the truth and revelation of God’s word to deeply penetrate your soul. I recommend you take these verses and meditate on them at your leisure.

Let’s baptise some people!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What are the two ideas that come from reading the verse Romans 5:10 His death accomplished what? and His resurrection accomplished what?

2. What are the two ideas that come from reading the verse Romans 7:4 His death accomplished what? and His resurrection accomplished what?

3. What are the two ideas that come from reading the verse Romans 4:25 His death accomplished what? and His resurrection accomplished what?

4. Jesus died for you and ALSO Jesus was raised for you. How much have you realised before, the different things accomplished by these two events?

5. Now that you are raised to life (Walking in newness of life) with Jesus how will you act?

YOU NEED FAITH TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE THE BIG THINGS YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE. YOU CAN LIVE A LIFE WITHOUT FAITH BUT – IT WILL BE A SMALLER LIFE THAN ONE LIVED WITH FAITH.

Do you need a miracle?

Do you need something to change in your circumstances?

Do you need a breakthrough in your life in some way? Maybe your health has some immoveable issues? Maybe you are sick of your ho-hum job and you want to do something different? Maybe you have struggled financially for far too long? Perhaps you have some deep fears or you have wrestled with doubts in your mind for far too long.

Then today you need to tune in really well!!!

You love God, but you’re looking for more. You’re looking for a significant shift, you’re sick of believing for the same miracles and increase but not seeing it as you hoped. You’re at a tipping point, it’s time to change up and create some momentum.

He called out “Son of David have mercy on me” In effect he was saying, “It’s my turn now!”

ROADBLOCK – the crowd stood in the way, be quiet they said, you’re annoying!

But Jesus told them to bring him here. What do you want he asked? Bold faith stands up and says God, it’s my turn now!

It’s my turn for a healing.

It’s my turn for a financial miracle.

It’s my turn for a salvation miracle.

It’s my turn for a Church growth

It’s my turn for a personal breakthrough.

It’s time some believers and leaders decided, we are not just plodding along doing all things well, and hoping for good things to happen, and yet not seeing the big breakthroughs and advances that we truly desire.

We have decided to stand up and make a demand in faith, just like Jacob who said “I won’t let you go until you bless me”

It’s my turn now!

It’s my turn now!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What is the biggest faith challenge you have ever faced?

What did doubt say to your mind about that challenge?

What did/does faith say to you about that challenge?

Can you accept that God really wants to bless, heal and prosper you?

Can you get past any sense of it being selfish to ask God for answers to your needs?

Water baptism is one of the most exciting experiences for a Christian. It’s a declaration that you have decided to follow Jesus, but more than that it is a supernatural experience of separating from your old life.

Let’s take a look at these verses in 1 Cor 10:1-2For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (ESV)

In many ways the events described in the Old Testament are examples of what our new life in Christ is all about. In fact Paul says the same in 1 Cor 10:11 Now these things befell them by way of a figure [as an example and warning to us]; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction, we in whose days the ages have reached their climax (their consummation and concluding period). (AMP)

Many things in the Old Testament are types or shadows of the spiritual realities unveiled in the New Testament. As one famous preacher once said, “the New is in the Old Concealed and the Old is in the New revealed.” For example when the Israelites took a Passover lamb and slew it to place the blood on the door of their homes in Egypt just before the Exodus, this is a type or shadow of Jesus Christ becoming our Passover lamb and shedding His blood to cover our lives in order that death would pass over us and we would be saved from it.

In this picture, Egypt represents the world and slavery and bondage to sin. The Promised Land represents our new life of following Jesus and Passover is a picture of salvation.

Now back to the verse we first read – the children of Israel were baptised into Moses in the Red Sea. What does that mean? In this story we understand that for 400 years the people of Israel had been living in the land of Egypt and away from their own land that God had promised them. Over the time that they were there, the Egyptians had become taskmasters over the Israelites and turned them into slaves. Their slavery had become harder and harder and the people of Israel began to cry out to the Lord for release. They had even forgotten that they were promised a new land through God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

In the same way mankind has been living under the bondage of sin and death and the slavery of sin has been getting harder and harder. Think about the issue of the drug Ice for a moment. Its ravaging influence is destroying the lives of users, their families and many others who are victim of the users actions in crime and in hospitals etc. That’s just one issue, there are so many ways that sin and death are cruel taskmasters over people who are crying out for release.

God raised up a deliverer, Moses, who is a picture of Jesus. Moses went before Pharaoh, who represents the devil and says you must let my people go. God shows His mighty hand through many miracles signs and wonders and brings the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness on the way to a promised land flowing with milk and honey.

At the time of Passover, the lamb slain to place the blood on the door posts and lintel of each home where Israelites lived represents Jesus. His blood was shed for us to cover us and the angel of death must pass over us. What happens next is God says to the Israelite people pack up everything you’ve got and leave. Travel into the wilderness. Start your journey into the Promised Land. But the Egyptian army followed them. They represent the old life, the power of sin and bondage that you were once under before you were a Christian. They also represent the devil and his demons who have lost their power over you and want to get you back.

As the people of Israel cry out to God, He leads them to the Red Sea and as Moses lifts his staff (Representing authority) the waters part and the Israelites go through on dry ground. The Red Sea represents water baptism. As the Egyptians (representing all that is worldly and part of your old life) tried to follow Israel into the water; the Red Sea closed up over them and they were destroyed.

This gives us the picture that when you go through the waters of baptism the power of your old life to dominate you is destroyed. But more than that, now there is a great separation between Egypt and Israel. A Red Sea that cannot be crossed! The Red Sea represented separation from the old life, from bondage and from poverty. The water was life and victory for the people of Israel who had been saved by blood and it represented death and separation to the Egyptians, the old life of sin and bondage.

No wonder the Israelites sang and danced and rejoiced when they were safely on the other side and saw the Egyptian Army drowned. Ex 15:1Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider or its chariot has He thrown into the sea.(AMP)

What’s more is that the verse we read at first says “baptised into Moses” which is a picture of the body of Christ, as revealed in this New Testament verse that aligns with this statement. 1 Cor 12:13 For by [means of the personal agency of] one [Holy] Spirit we were all, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, baptized [and by baptism united together] into one body, and all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit. (AMP)

If I haven’t been baptised in water yet – what should I do?

Be baptised by immersion as soon as possible. It is a glorious victory for you to leave the old life behind and be separated from the power of sin and the bondage of the old life.

If I have been already baptised since I believed, – what should I do? Exercise your faith. No need to be baptised again. Begin to believe that you are free, now separated from your old life and the powers of sin and temptation.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Do you think that your life as a Christian should be marked by supernatural experiences?

2. Why do you think it is necessary to be baptised by full immersion? (Hint see Romans 6:1-4)

3. Why is Jesus referred to as “The Lamb of God”?

4. What kind of things from “your old life” would you rather be set free from?

5. Can you believe that you are now free and delivered from your old life and the bondage of sin through your water baptism? Discuss.